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Muhammad Mahmood Alam
. Muhammad Mahmood Alam ( , Urdu: محمد محمود عالم) or shortly M. M. Alam is a retired Air Commodore of Pakistan Air Force. He is a recipient of the Pakistani military decoration, the Sitara-e-Jurrat ("The star of courage") and a bar to it for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was born July 6, 1935 in Calcutta, British India. He is popularly known as "M.M. Alam" and nicknamed little dragon. Air-to-Air kills MM Alam aka little dragon is known for his actions during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 when he was posted at Sargodha. During this war he was involved in various dogfights. He is officially credited with downing six Hunters of the Indian Air Force in air-to-air combats, 5 of them in less than a minute,Alam’s Speed-shooting ClassicPakistan Air Force official website as follows: * September 6, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Squadron Leader Ajit Kumar Rawlley, No 7 Squadron, Killed in action, near Tarn Taran. * September 7, 1965, Three Hawker Hunters (in one mission): Squadron Leader Onkar Nath Kacker, No 27 Sqn, POW, Squadron Leader Suresh B Bhagwat and Flying Officer Jagdev Singh Brar, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near Sangla Hill. * September 16, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Flying Officer Farokh Dara Bunsha, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near Amritsar. The Indian sources attribute Alam with only five of these kills, attributing one of the "kills" claimed by PAF, Sqn Ldr Onkar Nath Kacker's aircraft loss, to booster failure, since Alam in his claim had mentioned he did not see the AIM sidewinder missile hit the aircraft,morever Alam's claim of shooting down 5 Hunters in a record less than 30 seconds could not be proved as the Pakistani authorities could only find the wreckage of 2 Hunter aircraft Brar & Bhagwat's from the scene of action & Pakistan air force has not released the Gun Camera film of Alam's aircraft to support his claim of shooting down 5 Hunters in less than 30seconds. Alam was the first commanding officer of the first squadron of Dassault Mirage III fighters procured by the PAF. However he was not very popular with the top management of the PAF and was shortly removed from command, on the excuse that he was not "literate enough"Pakistan's Sabre Ace by Jon Guttman, Aviation History, Sept 1998 - Also available at http://babriet.tripod.com/articles/art_mmalam.htm. He was highly unpopular with the Top brass of the PAF, as he recommended, the removal of hard drinks from PAF Officers mess. Similarly he disapproved, the PAF style of providing call signs to Pilots which he believed was copied from British Air force. During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, all personnel who were of Bengali origins or were born in Bengal were grounded to prevent any defections. Thus, Alam was posted on a staff job and did not fly in combat. M.M. Alam retired in 1982 as an Air Commodore and currently resides in Karachi. One of the roads of Gulberg in Lahore is named after him as M. M. Alam road. His brother M. Shahid Alam is an Economist and a professor at Northeastern University, Boston. His brother M. Sajjad Alam is a particle physicist at SUNY Albany and is credited for discovering over a dozen particles. Citation . Official sources * History of PAF - Government of Pakistan * "Laying the Sargodha Ghost to rest." Vayu Aerospace Review. November 1985 References See also * Pakistan Air Force * Sitara-e-Jurat * Flying aces External links * Muhammad Mahmood Alam, YesPakistan.com * Citation of PAF Heros, at Pakdef.info Category:Pakistan Air Force officers Category:Pakistani aviators Category:Sitara-i-Jurat Category:Bengali people Category:Pakistani flying aces Category:Living people Category:1935 births Category:Pakistan Air Force Category:Pakistani Bengalis ur:محمد محمود عالم